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UNISDR ONEA-GETI Newsletter 11: July-September 2016

In this quarter, UNISDR and the Republic of Korea sign a US$10 million agreement to strengthen global capacity development. The 3 Korean cities of Ulsan, Busan and Gwangju participated in training on the local implementation of Sendai Framework, and 4 new Korean cities joined the UNISDR Making Cities Resilient Campaign: Cheongyang, Mokpo, Dalseo-gu, Seo-gu District - bringing the total of participating Korean cities to 152. ONEA-GETI’s school programme in Incheon began expanding towards fostering a DRR educator programme for students all across Korea. Across the global, ONEA-GETI supported capacity development of national focal points of 7 Central Asia and South Caucasus countries, LDCs and SIDS from 5 continents in Singapore, the private sector in the Philippines and in Malaysia and co-organized with UCLG ASPAC an event for local authorities at the Habitat III PrepCom3 in Surabaya, Indonesia. ONEA-GETI also hosted the Iran delegation of Mashhad City and 27 Indonesian Masters of Health students for training in its Songdo facilities in collaboration with trained trainers from Griffith University of Australia.

Ulsan City Aspires to Become Resilient Role Model

Ulsan Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea aspires to become a role model city in Making Cities Resilient and leading by example – commits to develop knowledge and capacity of its city officials, NGOs and communities, and share international experience in implementing Sendai Framework at local level.

UNISDR ONEA-GETI Newsletter 10: April-June 2016

Implementation of the Sendai Framework is taking roots in Bangladesh, Croatia, Mauritius, Mexico, Russian Federation with support of ONEA-GETI capacity programme for strengthen or development national or local disaster risk reduction plans. Through ONEA-GETI affiliated partners’ countries with similar risk profiles such as Cambodia, Côte d'lvoire, Laos, Senegal and Uganda also benefited of good practices and tools such as the draft local urban indicators. Sendai Framework for Children is now available in Korean. New e-Learning course on – Resilient Action planning, the Sendai Framework and its linkages with the SDGs by UNITAR. See new resources and follow our incoming workshops with business partners in Philippines and Malaysia through our calendar.

Croatia steps-up to implement Sendai Framework

The Government of Croatia took action to build their capacity and to develop their national action plan for implementation of the Sendai Framework. ONEA-GETI together with the UNISDR Office for Europe supported these efforts. The National Protection and Rescue Directorate of Croatia shared the importance of national Disaster Risk Assessment and the new obligations for local government.

UNISDR ONEA-GETI Newsletter 9: January- March 2016

More than 800 DRR policymakers from China, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Philippines and Qatar benefited from ONEA-GETI training on the implementation of the Sendai Framework. Business and Korean students also actively participated in risk reduction activities.

Korean students learned about Sendai Framework

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction calls upon governments to engage with children and youth, and to promote their leadership. It is very clear in the instrument that children and youth are agents of change. The Incheon Metropolitan City has been bringing the Child-Friendly Sendai Framework program to the Korean students.

Developing a Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery Plan in Qatar

The State of Qatar is working towards increasing their capacities to face disaster whether natural, accidents, or technological. The Government is committed to the idea that policies and procedures should go beyond reducing the current risks to prevent the accumulation of new risks. UNISDR Regional Office for Arab States and ONEA-GETI experts were deployed to support the country’s commitment.

Enabling the Sendai Framework in Mongolia

Mongolia is striving to develop its long term development strategy 2015 -2030. Fundamental to this process is a set of actions, including supportive and integrated legislative and policy environment; a financial investment in disaster risk reduction development plans and programmes; and engagement with the key actors and sectors.

Piloting Sendai Framework Local Indicators in Indonesia

ONEA-GETI is supporting Yogyakarta City to pilot the Sendai Framework Local Indicators for effective local implementation. Following the Training of Trainers, national facilitators assisted 7 districts in Indonesia in applying the City Resilient Scorecard.

China, Japan, and Korea joined efforts for education and training

Following the 4th Trilateral Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management and its commitment to advanced training and experience sharing between China, Japan, Korea and Mongolia, representatives met in Seoul to discuss current Sendai Framework implementation and explore in detail the expected role States in its implementation.

Korean cites committed to build disaster risk management capacity

16 Local Governments from Busan Metropolitan City, the second largest city after Seoul, got together to learn about risk management. The Cities' main risks are related to technological and natural hazards such as typhoons, floods and landslides, among others. Given their common exposure and risk profile, Busan City called for joint training with ONEA-GETI and their government officials.

Tehran and Mashhad Cities embrace the Sendai Framework

700 high level participants representing different regions of Iran attended the session on “Implementing Sendai Framework at Local Level through City Resilience Action Planning” that enhanced their understanding on practical implementation of the Framework at national and local level in the country. It is expected that UNISDR ONEA-GETI will further collaborate to scale up learning in the country.

From Business Continuity to Risk Reduction Business Practices in Samoa

This first of its kind workshop, a joint effort of the Government of Samoa, the Chamber of Commerce, and the UNISDR, brought practical tools for businesses to learn about disaster risk management and strengthen collaboration in risk reduction with the Government. Emphasis was placed on reinvesting in safe infrastructure, implementing the building codes, securing back-up storage in safe locations, and implementing scenarios and drills for staff to support the business profitability and improve local economy in the face of hazards in the island.

Philippine trainers trained on Sendai Framework implementation

Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council members have developed a pool of professionals to help roll out Sendai implementation at national and subnational level. Among the tools used, participants pilot tested the draft Sendai Framework indicators.

UNISDR ONEA-GETI Newsletter 8: July-December 2015

In the last six months of 2015, ONEA-GETI facilitated nineteen trainings with practical case studies to respond to the increasing demand for implementing the Sendai Framework across Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America reaching up to 784 participants, representing 23 nationalities.

Resilience calling: The private sector answers

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 highlights the importance of the role of the private sector and public-private partnership in making business and our communities more resilient. In the Korean city of Incheon, the private sector is listening and ready to engage.

Following a second workshop in Incheon with representatives from the Russian Ministry of Education, the Institute of Development of EMERCOM and Bauman Moscow State Technical University, The Russian Federation has committed to scale up urban resilience and capacity building in 2016. They aim to engage 25 Russian cities in the Making Cities Resilient campaign, develop joint workshops with ONEA-GETI and adapt training of trainer courses for national government, cities and academia.

27 national officials, experts in comprehensive disaster risk management, building resilience, climate change, meteorology and related areas in the Dominican Republic have committed to training. The trainees will serve as faculty of the National School of Risk Management.

DRR represents business opportunity

Korea’s advance towards a national integrated public-safety communications network has been heralded as an example of how disaster risk reduction represents a major business opportunity. The country aims to launch its world-leading system – the so-called Public Safety Long Term Evolution (PS-LTE) network – in 2017, and several commercial bids are expected from various major telecommunications carriers to implement the ambitious project.

Indonesia explores stronger public-private partnership

Indonesia is a vast nation with tremendous capacity as well as a multitude of disaster risk. GETI partnered with government officials and senior representatives from business and civil society to highlight important principles for resilient business as well as next steps to build a stronger public-private partnership for national resilience.

38 trained to scale-up resilience in Potenza, Italy

The Province of Potenza, Italy, a UNISDR Making Cities Resilient Advocate already recognized for its network approach to engaging all city and local authorities together with civil society organizations, has trained trainers from 12 of its municipalities and committed to scale up capacity for effective development of local action plans under the umbrella of the Provincial Territorial Coordination Master Plan.

Spain - Local Governments from Canary Islands trained in Lanzarote

Canary Islands are taking strong action to build their resilience to disasters. UNISDR ONEA-GETI made available its practical case studies and tools to the department of disaster risk reduction and cities resilient of the University of la Laguna to scale up the learning through Spain and abroad.

GETI partner engages in quake drill

A Metro Manila-wide earthquake drill tested the preparedness of people and organisations across the Philippines capital. GETI partner SM Prime took the simulation seriously as part of its ongoing commitment to DRR

Fiji business reveals 'can-do' attitude to DRR

Nadi is Fiji's tourism hub and home to the island nation's main international airport. Thirty-two senior representatives from the city's private sector community joined GETI for a two-day workshop on Making Your Business Disaster & Climate Resilient.

SM Prime launches Green Film Festival

Key private sector GETI partner, SM Prime, has kicked off a Green Film Festival for high school students to raise awareness on of the environment and climate change. Hundreds of public secondary school students watched the first documentary released for the festival at the SM Megamall cinema, in Manila, Philippines.

Joint Review of ONEA-GETI

UNISDR's ONEA-GETI is five years old this November. As part of the process to renew our excellent partnership with the Korean Government (Ministry of Public Safety and Security) and the City of Incheon, a Joint Review of the Office was conducted.

Indonesia focuses on urban resilience

GETI supported Indonesia's National Authority for Disaster Management (BNPB) to deliver a three-day high level training for 30 officials on urban resilience. The initiative is part of GETI's scaled-up 2015 programme under the new Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

Private sector partner focuses on disability

Tourism sector takes DRR lead in Da Nang

Typhoons and several other hazards are an increasingly common fact of life for the business community of Da Nang, Central Viet Nam. Protecting investment is a higher priority for the city's business community, particularly its booming tourism industry.

GETI supports cities resilience in Armenia

UNISDR's Incheon office supported Armenia's impressive roll-out of the global Making Cities Resilient” global campaign at a three-day event in Yerevan to help create a database of instructors in the country.

Disaster costs focus private sector attention

The Final Report of the 'Make Your Business Disaster & Climate Resilient' forum in Tblisi, recounts the USD14 billion in direct economic losses suffered in Georgia since 1975 has made it an issue the private sector can no longer afford to ignore.

Georgian business embrace disaster resilience

Forty representatives from the private sector in Georgia attended a two=day 'Make Your Enterprise Disaster and Climate Resilient' workshop in Tblisi. ONEA-GETI teamed up with the International Chamber of Commerce in Georgia to deliver the successful forum.

UNISDR ONEA-GETI Newsletter 6: Jan-March 2015

UNISDR highlights disaster risk to cities

Head of UNISDR ONEA-GETI Sanjaya Bhatia (pictured right) highlighted UNISDR's thriving Making Cities Resilient Campaign at the World Congress of Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI). Their World Congress - titled 'Sustainable Solutions of an Urban Future' - attracted several mayors and thousands of delegates to Seoul, Korea.

UNISDR ONEA-GETI Newsletter 5: World Conference Special

Up to 100 GETI alumni were present in Japan for the World Conference where the new Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was adopted. The future is a busy and exciting one for GETI. Catch up on some of the key issues here

Foreign Ministers reaffirm disaster management as priority

The first meeting in three years between the Foreign Ministers of China, Japan, and South Korea in Seoul affirmed their collective commitment to strengthened trilateral cooperation on a number of issues including disaster management. GETI has been working closely with the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat in this area. Most recently a joint workshop was held here in Incheon (pictured) to strengthen urban resilience in cities from each of the three countries.

Korea-US exchange to strengthen response coordination

GCF highlights climate adaptation link to DRR

The Green Climate Fund - our neighbours in G-Tower, the home of international organisations in Songdo New City, Incheon - told the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction that human and economic losses because of climate‐related disasters need to be significantly reduced.

Your own personal guide to the World Conference

GETI alumni on #ROAD2SENDAI

Several members of GETI's alumni will be taking the #ROAD2SENDAI both in spirit and substance. Here Alexey Chirikov, the Dean of Russia's Civil Defence Academy, signals his support for global disaster resilience efforts from a chilly Moscow.

All disasters are local

All disasters, even the bigger ones, are ultimately local in their impact. This presents a huge opportunity for GETI in its work to support the building of local capacity. Will the hundreds of policymakers who will meet at the World Conference on DRR in March 2015, in Sendai seize the moment? Read this blog on the WCDRR website from GETI's Andy McElroy

Pacific business embrace disaster resilience

GETI held its second Make Your Business Disaster and Climate Resilient forum, in Suva, Fiji. A range of businesses, including strong representation from critical infrastructure entities such as the airport, port and water utilities, engaged in a step-by-step planning of their risk.

NE Asian cities share disaster risk experience

UNISDR ONEA-GETI Newsletter 4: Nov-Dec 2014

GETI was delighted to host a senior official from Sendai, Japan, the host city of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction at a major forum in partnership with the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat here in Incheon

109 Korean cities join campaign

Senior officials from 73 Korean cities attended a two-day forum on Urban Risk Reduction and Resilience at GETI in December. Those present included representatives from the new Ministry of Public Safety and Security. At the event nine local municipalities joined UNISDR's Making Cities Resilient campaign bringing the total number of Korean cities in the initiative to 109

UNISDR ONEA-GETI Newsletter 3: Sept-Oct 2014

GETI provided support to a senior member of Pakistan’s National University of Science and Technology Risalpur campus, the first faculty in the country to offer a Master's course in disaster risk management. Dr Naeem Shahzad was one of 25 practitioners working at the ‘DRR frontline’ who participated in a GETI Capacity Development for Making Cities Resilient course run in partnership with CIFAL Jeju and UNITAR

UNISDR ONEA-GETI Newsletter 2

In the first seven months of 2014, GETI facilitated resilience action planning at nine forums in Armenia, India, Mongolia, Philippines, Qatar, and Republic of Korea, for more than 500 city and national DRR practitioners and policymakers from more than 26 countries

GETI supports Ministry's resilience agenda

Armenia's Ministry of Emergency Situations teamed up with GETI to help propel efforts at city and national level to address disaster risk across the country. The country ie emerging as a model of resilience planning in action.

City moves from training room to real world

GETI's trainings are not just theory and concepts that quickly evaporates into thin air. We bring international experience to the table and engage with cities and ministries at the 'coal face' of practice. Take a look at this draft resilience action plan from Stepanavan, Armenia, which is guiding policy and practice on the ground.

GETI makes the Business Case for DRR

GETI strengthens links with Central Asia

GETI has worked hard over recent months to strengthen links with Central Asia and the Caucasus with a series of events. The HFA2 consultation in April 2014 enabled the region's voice to be heard on what the priorities should be in the post-2015 Framework for DRR.

Resilience action planning in the heart of Manila

The municipality of Muntinlupa is nestled in the extraordinarily vibrant - yet vulnerable and exposed - metro Manila area of the Philippines. City leaders, with the support of GETI, are seeking to build on local capacity and strengthen their approach to building resilience.

New Delhi moves to strengthen resilience

City planners and DRR practitioners from the Indian capital of New Delhi have begun pinpointing actions to reinforce the Ten Essentials of UNISDR's Making Cities Resilient Campaign, with the support of GETI

UNISDR ONEA-GETI launches newsletter

GETI has launched a thrice-yearly newsletter to keep pace with its expanding portfolio of capacity building work and to better link up with its global alumni of more than 500 DRR policymakers and practitioner around the world.

Korea champions Resilient Cities Campaign

The Republic of Korea is at the forefront of UNISDR's Making Cities Resilient Campaign. GETI Head Sanjaya Bhatia told the Korean Herald that the country should be proud of the global lead it is providing in building city resilience.

GETI teams up with KOICA

KOICA brought officials and practitioners from nine countries convened to the Central Civil Defence and Disaster Management Institute (CDI) of Korean NEMA in Cheonan city for two weeks of training. GETI worked with the group for three days on issues of urban resilience.

Jeju hosts city learning forum

Fifteen DRR practitioners from eight Asian countries made the most of excellent facilities of the UNITAR CIFAL-Jeju centre to swap experience at a GETI-facilitated forum to strengthen resilience in April 2014. We'll be back there in October 2014 to repeat what was a vibrant four days.

Cities share experience to reduce disaster risk

Twenty-five top officials from cities in seven countries converged on the GETI conference centre and shared their vast experience of reducing the exposure and vulnerability to disasters of their citizens.

GETI supports mayors in Haiyan recovery

The Philippines is one of the key partner countries for GETI and a resilience action planning workshop in 2014 helped mayors who are battling with complex issues on the ground focus on the essentials of disaster risk-sensitive recovery.

Making Cities Resilient Campaign Mayors' Handbook in Korean language

Ninety-eight Korean municipalities are now part of the global Making Cities Resilient Campaign and more are set to join. This Korean language version of the handbook is a key reference for local government leaders working to make their communities more resilient.